Biden’s impeachment inquiry explained
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
The Republican-led House of Representatives authorized an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, a Democrat, on Wednesday.
Passed along party lines, the resolution gives formal approval for an investigation being conducted by the House Oversight and Accountability, Ways and Means, and Judiciary committees into allegations of bribery and influence peddling centered around the foreign business dealings of the president’s son, Hunter Biden.
Here’s everything you need to know about the impeachment inquiry.
What is the evidence?
GOP representatives have been investigating allegations that Hunter Biden peddled in his family name for months. They are scrutinizing the payments sent by foreign entities to Hunter Biden, James Biden — the president’s brother — and business associates of the Biden family. Lawmakers are also looking into the existence of at least 20 shell companies created while President Biden was vice president.
Related
According to The Guardian, congressional investigators have nearly 40,000 pages of subpoenaed records, like bank records and testimonies from key witnesses, including Justice Department officials who were involved in investigating Hunter Biden.
The House also heard testimonies from two Internal Revenue Service whistleblowers who alleged the Justice Department slow-walked the investigation against the president’s son and showed preferential treatment.
Why did Congress vote to authorize the ongoing impeachment investigation?
House Republicans began their impeachment probe in September after former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy moved forward — without a floor vote — and instructed committee chairs, James Comer, R-Ky., and Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to investigate Biden’s “abuse of power, obstruction and corruption.”
But without the formal backing of a majority vote, Republican investigators have been unable to enforce subpoenas or document requests in relation to Biden family business dealings. Last month, the White House rejected numerous subpoenas sent by House Republicans for Biden family members and administration officials, citing the lack of a formally authorized inquiry.
Related
On Wednesday, Hunter Biden defied a subpoena request to testify before Congress in a closed-door hearing. This prompted Comer and Jordan to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings against the president’s son.
“The White House is working overtime to impede investigations of public corruption at the highest levels of government,” Rep. Burgess Owens, who represents Utah’s 4th District, said in a press release. “Congress has a constitutional duty to hold President Biden accountable to the law.”
House Republicans expect their conference’s unanimous vote in support of an impeachment probe will add legal weight to their requests, particularly in an effort to secure testimonies from Hunter and James Biden. GOP lawmakers stressed their vote to formalize the impeachment inquiry did not constitute a vote to impeach — that would require additional evidence tying Biden to his son’s business activities.
Is there proof Joe Biden was involved in his son’s business dealings?
President Biden has, time and again, stated he did not participate in his son’s business dealings and there was an “absolute wall” between his official government duties as vice president and his family. But Comer alleges Biden lied about his involvement.
“The Biden family business model is built on Joe Biden’s political career,” Comer said. “If President Biden is compromised by deals with foreign adversaries and they are impacting his decision making, this is a threat to national security.”
Still, the congressional investigations have not produced concrete evidence that the president benefitted from his son’s foreign business deals.
Related
Some Republicans, like Rep. John Curtis, who represents Utah’s 3rd District, acknowledge the case against Hunter Biden is nearly incontrovertible but say more evidence is needed to implicate the president.
“The real question is to what extent President Biden was aware, complicit, or involved in Hunter Biden’s actions,” Curtis said.
Accounting experts at a House GOP hearing in September also said there currently isn’t enough decisive evidence against the president to support an article of impeachment.
Could Biden be impeached?
House investigators intend to hear from Biden’s family members over the next few weeks and into the first part of next year, according to Punchbowl News, setting up what could be a final decision on whether the House will proceed with impeachment proceedings.
Given the number of House Republicans who represent Biden-leaning districts and the narrowness of the GOP’s two-seat majority, it is unlikely an inquiry will result in actual impeachment unless clear proof emerges that the president profited from his family members’ foreign business dealings, according to multiple Republican lawmakers.
If the House were to impeach the president, he would almost certainly remain in office as the Democrat-led Senate is unlikely to vote to convict him.
